You're not alone if you're here to learn how to delete a Facebook account. Due to recent events, nearly 45% of Facebook users in the United States have considered deleting their Facebook accounts. From the alleged misuse of data to the proliferation of fake news, Facebook's reputation has taken some hits.
Maybe you're worried about privacy, you're fed up with all the ads, the content isn't as interesting anymore, or your business no longer needs it. Whatever your reason, you should know a few things before permanently deleting your Facebook account. You should know that deleting your Facebook account is different from temporarily deactivating it.
Facebook Deactivation and Deletion
Let's review deactivation and deletion a bit more. If you choose account deactivation, your profile and Timeline disappear from the site, but Facebook still saves all your information if you decide to return. If you choose account deletion, however, Facebook permanently removes all your data – so if you change your mind, you won't be able to get it back. You lose access to account data and complete access.
Fortunately, you can download a copy of all the data Facebook has on you, including photos, posts, and messages. This article will cover how to permanently delete a Facebook account and download your data before deleting it.
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Downloading Your Facebook Data
To perform any account-related actions, you need to navigate to the Settings, and then the General Account Settings section of your Facebook admin.
Keeping your information available or downloading it is an excellent option for your business or personal posts and memories you want to keep. If deleting Facebook is your next step, you should access your information and store it safely, just in case you need your data elsewhere. To use the Access your information tool, log in to your Facebook account and click on your profile picture.
Then you'll need to select Settings and Privacy and click Settings. Then, in the left-hand menu, you'll click on Privacy and click Your Facebook Information in the same menu. Next, go to the information you want to see and click View.
You can do many things from the Your Facebook Information menu, like access the different categories of profile information, transfer your data to another service, and download your information, amongst others.
If you're ready to download your data, select the information categories you want to keep or remove by clicking the checkboxes to the right. In this menu, you can also format your download, choose the quality of photos, videos, and other media, and select a date range for your requested profile information. Next, you'll click on Create file to confirm your download request.
Your profile information will appear as Pending in the Available copies section of the Download Your Information tool, and it could take several days to compile all of your data. Choose an HTML or JSON file format.
When the file is ready, go back to the Available Copies section, click Download, and enter your password. The process is slightly different if you want to delete your Facebook account, which we'll discuss next.
How to Permanently Delete Your Facebook Account
Deleting your Facebook account is quite simple, and like other social media platforms, deleting your account is permanent. So think about it before you delete it, and ensure that Facebook no longer serves you or your business. Once ready, log in to your Facebook account and navigate the Facebook delete account webpage.
You can download your information directly from this page if you haven't already. To prevent accidental deletion, Facebook makes you enter your password to confirm that you want to delete your account. Enter your password and click Continue, then click Delete Account, and just like that, your Facebook account is permanently deleted.
It may take 90 days for your data to disappear from the platform. Your Facebook pages, posts, and company pages will be deleted, but posts, photos, and messages from you to a friend or family member will remain on their timelines.
How to Delete Your Facebook Account from a Mobile Device
Desktop deletion of your Facebook information is not the only way to manage your account deletion. You can also use the mobile app to delete Facebook accounts.
Deleting your Facebook account from a mobile device is a relatively simple process. First, you'll need to log in to the Facebook app and click on the hamburger menu icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Next, scroll down until you find Settings and Privacy and click that option; next, tap Settings and tap Personal and Account Information.
This menu has limited options, but choose Account Ownership and Control at the top. From this menu, you can choose what happens to your account after you pass away, deactivate your account temporarily, or delete your Facebook account.
Tap Deactivation and deletion, and then choose Delete Account. Follow the prompts until your account is deleted.
Deleting your Facebook account doesn't just remove your profile from the platform; it also affects outside businesses and services that you've connected to your Facebook account. In addition, any websites or apps linked to your Facebook profile may also be affected. So before deleting your account, make sure that you check all of the apps and websites to ensure that your information is secure and not disrupted.
If you change your mind after deleting your Facebook and want your account back, there's hope. Fortunately, Facebook left the option for a 30-day grace period to cancel the deletion. Remember, after the grace period, your account information is gone forever, aside from the posts or content you've shared with others.
Deactivating Your Facebook Account
Deactivating your Facebook account does not do the same as account deletion. Deactivating your account will preserve your data and connections to others but will hide your timeline and profile from public view. If you want a short break from using Facebook, you can deactivate your account.
To deactivate your account, follow the instructions for deleting your account until you reach the Delete Account page; choose Deactivate Account and follow the prompts. If you deactivate your account, remember that your data is stored on Facebook's servers. Unlike deleting your account, you still have access to Facebook Messenger and can send messages. However, you still lose the integrations that may be connected to your Facebook account.
Finally, try deactivation if you're looking for a break from Facebook and all of its notifications. You can easily adjust your notification settings or take a vacation from the platform by changing the frequency with which you receive notifications.
Why Businesses are Deleting Their Facebook Accounts
Now that you understand the difference between deleting and deactivating your Facebook account, you can decide which option is best for you or your business. Remember, deleting your account means that all your data, messages, and posts will disappear while deactivating hides the information from public view. Therefore, deleting a Facebook account for business or personal use is a big decision.
Facebook is one of the world's largest social media platforms, with over 1.5 billion daily users; it seems like the perfect marketing tool for any business. So why would any business want to delete its presence there?
Companies that delete their accounts can still use other social media platforms for their marketing, which could mean that Facebook's days are numbered. The main reason why businesses are deleting their Facebook accounts is due to privacy concerns and the threat of data breaches. Yet, there's more to it than that.
According to Neil Patel, businesses are deleting their Facebook accounts for various reasons. If you said the main reasons include the decrease in organic reach, the potential for data misuse, and simply a lack of engagement, then you would be right. In addition, businesses may be hesitant to invest in Facebook Ads or have noticed a decrease in engagement due to the platform's algorithm changes. Other reasons companies are pulling the plug may be:
- Facebook takes traffic away from the business
- Facebook requires too much time to manage
- Facebook makes you cater to an audience rather than helping you shape it
- Facebook possesses too much control over content and marketing
- Facebook limits the amount of genuine interaction that your audience can have with you
- Twitter may be better
- Facebook punishes organic posts and non-paid content
- Facebook's parent company, Meta, is being sued in the UK over data privacy
How to Delete a Facebook Account Wrap-up
Regardless of your reasons, it’s important to remember that if you permanently delete your Facebook account, you'll have to recreate a new one should you choose to use the platform again.
Before you delete Facebook, carefully weigh the pros and cons of deactivation and deletion and choose “delete account” only if it is the best option. Maybe start with the deactivation of your account temporarily, and if you find you aren't using Facebook, you can fully delete it.
In the end, does Facebook still serve your business’s needs, or can you better serve your customers by investing in other social media platforms?
